Lee back, not scared of injury risk

The news of George Farmer's season-ending knee injury -- check out today's Register story by clicking here -- no doubt hit all of his USC teammates hard, but did it make Marqise Lee think?

As a sophomore in 2012, Lee was recognized as college football's top receiver. After the 2013 season, he will be eligible to leave school early and go to the NFL if he so desires. Farmer's injury is an example of how quickly fortunes can change. Farmer made a cut on an innocent-looking non-contact drill and tore up his knee. He will be fortunate if he's able to participate in spring practice in 2014. Did it give Lee any pause, to see how quickly things can change?

``It can happen at any time for anybody, but then again, we don't necessarily put ourselves in that position to think about it,'' Lee said. ``The sense of the thing is that if it happens, it happens. That's not something we can control. I'm going to continue to play regardless, knowing that situation could possibly happen. You've just got to keep working. That's about it.''

Lee returned to practice Thursday. He hurt his knee in USC's third spring practice and missed almost three full weeks. Lee didn't participate in any contact drills Thursday but vowed to be a full participant Saturday at the Coliseum.

``I could have finished today,'' Lee said. ``I actually could have done the whole practice, but the trainer is not allowing me, unfortunately. I'm good. I felt good. I don't know if you guys saw… Did I look good?''

Including Saturday, USC has four spring practices remaining. Lee, always sunny and personable with reporters, actually seemed aghast when one asked if he feared at some point that he might be held out for the rest of spring practice.

``That's not going to happen,'' Lee said firmly. ``I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I'm not the type of person who likes to sit on the sidelines watching. That's not me, and that's not fun at all, especially when your team is competing and going against each other, with all that talking and nonsense going back and forth. I'm trying to be in that.''

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